Transcript for San Diego City Council Accepts Embattled Mayor's Resignation

Thank you council president. Today and special closed session the City Council voted on special close session item number one. McCormick Jackson -- city of San Diego San Diego County superior court case number 37 dashed when he thirteen DEC 000. 58613. CU OP CTL. The motion to approve the settlement -- 70. With council. There with council members coal and Sherman half cent. We will go through the discussion of the terms of the settlement. Com there's one term that I will recite now that mayor Bob film -- Has resigned effective on August 302013. The city has accepted the -- resignation. I will. Discuss the balance of the terms. At this point I'd like to turn -- back to council president Gloria. Thank you mr. city turning -- Jamar mayors with us mr. mayor Richard to address the public at this time. Think instrument. -- -- -- I would say thank you for me to be here but obviously this is not a happy time for any of us not for the -- in the you know. Not for those who -- present. And for my -- Part in causing on this. I offered deep apology but certainly thomas' and -- going through. You to the citizens that you represent. The city should not have been put through this. And my own personal. Failures were responsible. And I apologize. To the city. -- I -- a lot of supporters out there. I apologize. I apologize. To all of you I think they let you down and we have a that we had a chance. To do -- progressive vision in this city for the first time in fifty years. That's -- -- later. We need you to carry a vision forward. This is not a time to let it tonight. But I apologize to all of you. I. I would like to say especially. Two. My former fiance -- front month. And I love you very much. Are you came to love San Diego is as much as I did. And you did memorable things. In the short time that you were First Lady. And I personally apologize for the hurt that I have. -- -- -- Call the women that I attended. I had no intention. To be offensive. To violate. Any physical or emotional space. I was trying to. Establish personal relationships. But the combination. Of awkwardness and hubris. I think split -- behavior that many found offensive. -- again as I have in the past sincerely apologize to all of you. And I won't try to make amends in any suitable -- So for any. I should say for the part that I have -- and -- take responsibility for putting the city through -- -- time. Again I apologize to all of you. Certainly was never my intention. To be -- mayor. We're not like that's. Now I have to caution the council about one thing. And I -- to city. I started my political career facing -- -- And I think we have just face won here in San Diego. And you're gonna have to deal -- that. The -- lynch mob mentality. Rumors become allegations. The allegations become facts. Facts become evidence. Of sexual harassment. Which have led to demands from my resignation Enrico. Not one allegation. Members of the council. Has ever been independently verified. -- proven in court. I have never sexually harassed commitments. But to hysteria that has been created. And many -- help to feed. -- -- hysteria of Orange -- I said I faceless mob so many times. When I was younger. No evidence was needed. The mom knew who -- guilty. Who needed to process. Well ladies and gentlemen democracy needs to process. The San Diego needs due process. Those of you in the media and in politics who -- this hysteria I think. Need to look at which you helped create. Because you have unleashed monster. And I think will be paying for this affront to democracy for a long time. -- the hysteria. And playing into the hands of those who wanted a political coup. The removal of the democratically elected mayor. Purely by rumor and innuendo. Now I am responsible. For providing the ammunition. I did that. -- take full responsibility. But there -- -- interest who have run this city for fifty years. Who pointed the gun. In the media. And their political agents pulled the trigger and that ladies and gentlemen does not want democracy. Is about. And I was elected to make changes. People -- me from the beginning. They found the weapons they needed in my -- -- -- -- -- As a human being but they found out what those weapons. And they used in a bloody and vicious way. So you're gonna have to deal of that. If you care about democracy. When I would like to leave -- with. Is what I started my campaign on the -- is a vision of what to city ought to be. And what we can become. He watched most of you supported. Since we looked at Balboa park and prepared for the Centennial. We got the cars out of -- -- Panama for the first time ever. If you haven't been by their -- like it's an incredible. Campus in which we cannot think what the future Balboa park will be. We protect its seals. And we protected. -- from the Pope. From the seals and others. We negotiated. Tens of millions of dollars in savings for you off in our leases of our buildings. We can't. Be structurally balanced budget. And we join in a five year labor agreement which. For the first time gives us a stability -- -- ability to help our employees and without further vilification of them. But for those who run our city. As you know I ran on a platform of neighborhoods but making them livable workable likable. He retired world class people to help -- that. Our department are planning director bill Fulton. The incubator -- we have established now on the fourth floor. With world class urban thinkers. We'll help prepare the way for it really exciting neighborhood of entries. With many view we put -- -- back on public safety. We -- Terrible terrible downward spiral in the ability of this city to provide adequate fire and police protection. We started to -- I hope you'll continue to do that. And our economy is still fragile. But we worked together to prevent of vision for -- Port and the expansion of trade and thousands of jobs. We started to. So polarize or use alternative energy and all the public buildings that are owned by not only the city but the count -- in the school district. Which will not only do our part for the environment. But create again hundreds if not thousands of jobs. We tried to make the border more efficient which would put billions of dollars in our economy. And through all this I've tried to look at the working people of San Diego. Those who struggle everyday to make this city great. And I have to particularly thank the leaders of -- working community. The labor community. For helping me not only in the first seven months but the last few weeks. I needed both -- time in the support to reflect on what matters. To me personally as well as the confidence -- that the city will move forward and labor -- labor leaders helped me. On both fronts. They encourage me to seek professional help. Which I did and I'm continuing the allow me to focus on what's best for everyone whose lives I have to influence. When it seemed that a lot of the political structure was paralyzed and distracted by my personal situation. Labor leaders work with my staff and with the City Council and you guys passed the prevailing wage measure. -- -- -- -- real boost to working families and to our local economy and to taxpayers. I ran for office to advance these types of policies and I can leave now confident that labor will continue to -- community together. As we need that. I hope you will look at the book I recommended to all of you called the first industrial revolution. -- -- what we have to do -- a city region state in the nation to deal with climate change. And the loss of fossil. Fuel future. We've introduced I hope you'll pass -- climate action plan. But we wanted to be the first city in North America to accomplish the first industrial revolution. I hope you look at that. We've excluded we've extended as you have all help with our support for the arts and culture in this community. To really help the homeless. And unemployed veterans get their self respect back. Then as you know. As a city our particular particular. The strength comes from our position is part of the biggest binational. -- culinary in a world. We've. Had had a tremendous. Acceleration of our relationships with Tijuana and with Mexico which I hope you'll continued. We have an office there are now. The planning for a -- national Olympic bid is in the works. I hope you'll not be put off by. The gloom and doom about that ability it is the most exciting thing that we can do as a region. And I hope and just the planning of it will be exciting for us to -- forward to move forward. And through this all as I have done through my whole life we've stressed that the strength of this city. Is on its diversity. I don't have to tell you know. The city is a majority of people of color. In yet if you look at any economic or political. Group in this city. He can't tell that. We have not tap the full strength of the diversity of this community. We're all in this together latest -- And we are stronger. When. We include everybody. At the table everybody at the economic table everybody. -- the political table. We're all in this together. Obviously this is the toughest decision of my life. You'll -- -- mean to be a fighter. I -- promises to the people of San Diego. To give everyone an equal opportunity. The chance to be heard. A chance to have that seat at the table. That vision terrified a lot of folks. In the fight for control of the city has become -- -- Sid Vicious and bloody. Unfortunately -- my -- -- you all help cut off any support for that. I can't afford to continue has -- Even though I know if given due process. I would be vindicated. It's not my nature to walk away from a fight. And I want to people of sandy it would -- My vision that you voted for in the mayoral election will not die. -- lord knows I am not perfect. -- made a lot of mistakes. But in my heart my desire for a progressive world. Would drive me to keep -- I will not give up. And in the final analysis. Of course politics is not about any of us as individuals. Should not be about me but ideas -- move us forward. Whoever will be the next mayor -- my hope is that these ideas that have resonated. With our -- -- communities. -- continued and respected. I was at Madison Square Garden when Ted Kennedy -- in 1980. As he. Conceded two President Carter in a nomination for the democratic. President. The work goes on. -- -- -- The hope still lives. And the dream shall never die. Thank you. Members of the council T.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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